In today's tech industry, there are two contrasting views about the role humans will play in an increasingly automated world: one suggests that all jobs except their own will be replaced by robots; the other argues that robots will take on tedious and repetitive tasks while humans will focus on new types of work. According to predictions from the World Economic Forum, while current technological trends may lead to the disappearance of 92 million jobs, they will also create 170 million new positions.
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However, what will the future work scene look like for those without financial resources or interest in artificial intelligence and machine learning, such as today’s warehouse workers? Amazon’s recent announcement about significant progress with its new Vulcan robot offers some insight into the future. This robot has "perception" capabilities and can handle work that meets human safety standards.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated on social media that the Vulcan robot could help improve workplace safety, handle physically challenging tasks, and provide employees with skills to maintain robots. According to Amazon, this new type of robot will collaborate with humans to retrieve items from high and low places in warehouses, reducing the need for human employees to climb ladders or bend over for long periods.
Meanwhile, Amazon also revealed it is providing training for some warehouse employees to become robotic technicians to meet the growing demand for robot-related jobs in the future. This means that as robots take on more picking tasks in warehouses, companies will require skilled individuals.
Although Amazon hasn’t specified the exact ratio of job conversion between robots and humans, it is foreseeable that there will be a growing need for talent to supervise and maintain robots. At the same time, new job positions may emerge, such as "automation monitors," similar to staff stationed near self-checkout machines, responsible for ensuring system operations run smoothly.
Nevertheless, a fully robot-dominated workforce in the future might not arrive as quickly as anticipated. Large enterprises like Amazon may continue to lead this trend, but most retail, food service, and driving industries will still be human-driven, at least for the next few decades.
It is worth noting that Amazon once attempted to promote its "cashierless" technology to a broader retail sector, but due to retailers' lukewarm attitude toward Amazon’s competitive stance, the technology did not gain traction as hoped. Therefore, the widespread application of this high-tech remains fraught with challenges.
Key Points:
🌐 Predictions show that although 92 million jobs will disappear, 170 million new positions will also be created.
🤖 Amazon’s new Vulcan robot will collaborate with humans to improve workplace safety and offer skill enhancement opportunities.
👷♂️ As robots become more prevalent, new job roles such as "automation monitors" will emerge, but traditional industries will still require human employees.